Hey! Welcome to the Creator Economy NYC newsletter — the premier place for all things creator economy in the Big Apple (especially to the 350 who have joined us since our last event).

Today’s a special milestone — this is our 50th newsletter! 🥳 Whether you’ve been here since day one or you just hopped on board, thank you for being part of this incredible community. Your support and engagement are what make this all possible.

In today’s newsletter, we’re unpacking the standout insights from our recent panel on personal branding, where four NYC creators revealed their strategies for building authentic, impactful, and lasting brands.

Let’s dive in.

Enjoying being part of the community?

Why Teachable is having their biggest sale ever (and why you should care)

You know those moments when everything just lines up perfectly? This is one of them.

After partnering with Teachable at our NYC events and watching countless creators in our community transform their expertise into thriving online businesses, I can tell you – their platform just works.

Here's the deal: They're offering 35% off annual plans (their steepest discount ever), but it's dropping fast. Plus, Pro/Pro+ subscribers unlock $250+ worth of resources from top Teachable creators: proven templates to grow your email list, social media strategies that actually work, and fill-in-the-blank sales copy that converts.

But honestly? The real magic is how seamlessly everything flows – from launching your first digital product to handling those annoying backend operations. No tech headaches, just pure creation.

Lock in your 35% discount before it vanishes. 

The power of you: 3 insights on personal branding from NYC creators

As I moderated our latest Creator Economy NYC panel, something struck me: here I was, asking four successful creators about personal branding while navigating my own journey of balancing Brett Dashevsky, the person, with Creator Economy NYC, the brand. The irony wasn't lost on me – and neither was the wisdom shared that evening.

In a packed room on Lexington Ave (made possible by our partners Teachable, beehiiv, and Fig) four creators opened up about their journeys of turning their authentic stories into thriving content careers:

From Colin Rocker, a consultant-turned-full-time creator, to Piper Phillips, a marketing director who rediscovered her voice, to Yena Kim, a fashion designer who built an empire around her photogenic Shiba Inu, to Jack Appleby, a marketing strategist bridging basketball and storytelling — their experiences reinforced one truth:

In the creator economy, your greatest differentiator isn't your niche, your platform strategy, or even your content format – it's YOU.

Here are three key insights that resonated deeply, both as a moderator and as a creator finding his own path:

1. Start creating, then find your truth

I see this truth play out every day in our creator community: the ones who succeed aren't those who waited for the perfect strategy – they're the ones who started creating and let their voice emerge through the process. Colin’s story is proof:

The takeaway? Your audience will help shape your voice, but only if you give them something to react to. As Jack Appleby pointed out:

This isn’t just theory — it’s a practice I see every day in our community. The creators who succeed aren’t the ones waiting for perfection. They’re the ones who start, fail, and adjust until they find their voice.

2. Embrace your personal evolution

Your content should grow as you grow. Just like a good DJ reads the room and adapts their set, creators need to feel comfortable evolving their content as they evolve as people.

Colin's words hit home for many in the room, including Piper Phillips, who shared her journey of leaving a marketing director role and worrying about losing followers who came for her corporate content.

But she discovered that her evolution actually strengthened her audience connections – because they were following her, not just her job title.

Yena emphasized this power of evolution, saying:

The lesson? Your evolution is part of your story. Don’t fight it; let it guide your brand.

3. Master the three C's of content creation

Colin shared a framework that stuck with many of us long after the event: Competency + Charisma + Conflict.

This framework isn't just theory — it's a practical guide for turning your unique experiences into content that resonates. Earlier last week, I opened up on LinkedIn about being laid off a year ago. That post resonated because it hit all three C's: it drew from my expertise in the creator economy (competency), reflected my voice (charisma), and revealed a vulnerable moment (conflict).

The response was overwhelming – countless messages from others going through similar transitions, proving that when you share authentically, you create real connections.

But how do you know what authentic stories to tell? After quitting her dream job as a Ralph Lauren designer, Yena Kim discovered something powerful about standing out in the creator economy:

This wasn't just luck – it came from deep self-reflection. As she advised:

Her success shows how Colin's framework comes to life: she combined her fashion expertise (competency) with her and her dogs unique personalities (charisma) and the vulnerability of leaving a dream job to pursue an unconventional path (conflict).

When you look around at other creators, she urged, don't try to replicate their path: "You are the only person that can do that one thing well. You're the best at doing that one thing."

BONUS: The power of juxtaposition

In a world obsessed with niches, the most memorable brands often break the mold. Piper Phillips captured this perfectly:

We saw this principle come to life during our event Q&A when Sebastian Paredes, who runs a staffing agency, revealed his passion for Spanish battle rap. Right there in the room, he demonstrated his freestyle skills (with me attempting to beatbox), proving that seemingly contradictory interests can create the most compelling personal brands.

His professional expertise in recruitment and raw talent for rap battles aren't mutually exclusive – they're what make his story uniquely his.

Look at your own life: What parts of your identity or interests might seem to conflict? What unique combinations of experiences have shaped you? These intersections often hold the key to creating content that's not just different, but impossible for others to replicate.

The path forward

The overarching message was clear: while the technical aspects of content creation matter, the true power of personal branding comes from embracing your authentic story.

For those building in their creator journey (myself included), Colin offered this encouraging perspective: "Don't think of yourself as competing with other creators... try to be a category of one." And perhaps most powerfully:

In a world where traditional career paths are evolving, your personal brand isn't just about content creation – it's about opening doors to opportunities you might never have imagined.

As I continue building Creator Economy NYC, these insights aren't just content for a newsletter – they're a roadmap for brand building. I hope they serve as the same for you.

—

Couldn’t make it to the event? The full panel discussion will be shared on our YouTube channel (subscribe!) and in this newsletter next week. Stay tuned to hear all the insights directly from our amazing panelists.

Also, a special shoutout to Jack Appleby, who made an exciting announcement during the event: Jack is launching How To Market Yourself — a course designed to help you build a personal brand and create content that truly reflects you. If you toss your email in this link, you’ll get 50% off when the course launches.

If you're gonna take your name tag off, don't stick it to your ass... 😅

Content to commerce: building your brand, selling to your audience (final event of the year!)

For our final event of 2024, we’re stoked to be partnering with our friends at Shopify for a mixer and panel focused on content to commerce. We’ll be sitting down with leading creators —  Brett Conti, Elliot Choy and AmandaRachLee, who have launched — or are in the process of building — their own brands on Shopify, diving into the tactics, strategies, and insights that turn audiences into customers.

Let’s close out an incredible year together STRONG — RSVP early to secure your spot and get the latest updates! 

• Inside Amazon prime’s sponsorship of gen z-favorite social media series boy room

• More people are dropping out of the creator economy as those at the top get a bigger share of brand deals

• How independent agencies are staking their claim in the creator economy

Thanks so much for reading! Next week is Thanksgiving, so it’ll be a lighter send. Thankful for all of you. Thanks for being here. Let’s go.

Brett